Attendance

Please read the Student Handbook or  Board Policy Manual regarding attendance and absence policies.

Absence Documentation Procedures

If your student is absent, please:

1. send a written, signed note to the campus office
2. send an email to the campus office (email addresses available at right)

Teachers cannot accept absence notes or messages through communications apps.  

Absence Letters

If a student exceeds 5 days of unexcused absences, the district will send a letter to the parent or guardian.

State law requires school districts to send letters for every third absence. For example, letters will be sent for absence #3, absence #6, absence #9, etc.

This is part of the district's truancy prevention plan to make sure students are attending school and remaining academically successful.

Documentation After Absence

A student absent for any portion of the day should follow the procedures below to provide documentation of the absence. 

Documentation after an Absence (All Grade Levels) 

A parent must provide an explanation for any absence upon the student’s arrival or return to school. The student must submit a note signed by the parent.

A note signed by the student will not be accepted unless the student is age 18 or older or is an emancipated minor under state law. 

The campus will document in its attendance records whether the absence is excused or unexcused. 

Note: The district is not required to excuse any absence, even if the parent provides a note explaining the absence, unless the absence is an exemption under compulsory attendance laws. 

Doctor’s Note after an Absence for Illness (All Grade Levels) 

Within 5 days of returning to school, a student absent for more than 3 consecutive days because of a personal illness must bring a statement from a doctor or health clinic verifying the illness or condition that caused the absence. Otherwise, the absence may be considered unexcused and in violation of compulsory attendance laws. 

Should the student develop a questionable pattern of absences, the principal or attendance committee may require a statement from a doctor or health clinic verifying the illness or condition that caused the absence to determine whether an absence will be excused or unexcused. 

Certification of Absence Due to Severe Illness or Treatment 

If a student is absent because of a serious or life-threatening illness or related treatment that makes a student’s attendance infeasible, a parent must provide certification from a physician licensed to practice in Texas specifying the student’s illness and the anticipated period of absence related to the illness or treatment. 

Driver License Attendance Verification (Secondary Grade Levels Only) 

A currently enrolled student seeking a driver’s license shall submit the Texas Department of Public Safety Verification of Enrollment and Attendance Form (VOE), signed by the parent, to the campus central office at least 10 days before it is needed. The district will issue a VOE only if the student meets class credit or attendance requirements. The VOE form (https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/driver/forms/VOE.pdf) is available online. 

Further information may be found on the Texas Department of Public Safety website (https://www.dps.texas.gov/section/driver-license/how-apply-texas-driver-license-teen).